Do These 7 Companies Owe You Money? Check These Class Action Settlements

The holidays may have made everything merry and bright, but some businesses will be fighting to keep the office lights on after they pay these class-action lawsuit settlements. Our New Year’s countdown includes three tiers of claimants, two small-appliance companies and one payment processor accused of charging unauthorized fees.

Intuit TurboTax Fraudulent Tax Return

If you had a fraudulent tax return filed in your name, you could be eligible for two years of free credit monitoring by TransUnion as a result of an Intuit TurboTax class-action settlement.

Intuit TurboTax faced allegations the company failed to adequately protect consumers’ information, which allowed fraudulent tax returns to be filed for several years.

Class members are those who had a fraudulent tax return filed in their name through Intuit TurboTax for tax years 2014, 2015 or 2016.

Intuit admits no wrongdoing by agreeing to the settlement. No money is offered in the settlement, which could affect more than 915,000 consumers who will not be compensated for expenses related to fraudulent tax return filings. Consumers may wish to pursue such compensation separately.

To receive two years of free TransUnion credit monitoring services, click here to file a claim by Jan. 22, 2019.

Black & Decker, Farberware Small Appliances

Consumers who bought Black & Decker or Farberware small appliances may qualify for a portion of a class-action settlement.

Plaintiffs alleged that both companies failed to represent that certain covered products are manufactured and warranted by them.

Some plaintiffs also accused the brands of selling coffee makers that make much less coffee than they were marketed as producing.

The coffee makers were advertised as making a predetermined number of “cups,” which the plaintiffs allege are not the standard 8 fluid ounces that most consumers purportedly assume is meant by a “cup.”

The defendants included Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. and Applica Consumer Products Inc. Neither admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement.

Consumers who purchased certain appliances between Feb. 5, 2014, and Oct. 19, 2018, may be eligible to receive compensation. Eligible items include:

• Black & Decker: air fryers, blenders, can openers, coffee grinders, coffee makers, electric knives, food processors, grills, irons, juicers, kettles, mixers, quesadilla makers, rice cookers, skillets and other surface cookers, slow cookers, toasters, toaster ovens and waffles.
• Farberware: coffee urns and percolators, food processors and toaster ovens.

Class members are eligible to receive up to $4.

For more information — and to fill out your claim form by the Feb. 28, 2019, deadline — click here.

Van Heusen Fake Sale (California Only)

Customers who shopped at a Van Heusen store in California could receive up to $150 in merchandise certificates due to a recent class-action settlement.

The retailer admits no wrongdoing in the settlement but faced allegations that it engaged in deceptive advertising practices by placing false reference prices on merchandise.

The fake prices were allegedly designed to convince customers that the products were of high quality and that the current prices were a bargain.

Class members are those who shopped at a Van Heusen store in California between June 1, 2018, and Oct. 3, 2018, where such fake reference prices were displayed upon products.

Compensation will be distributed by means of single-use merchandise certificates in the amount of $6.50.

There are three levels of class members, which include:

• First tier of claimants: Class members who are a member of the Van Heusen loyalty program and made one or more qualifying purchases. These claimants are not required to submit proof and are eligible for one merchandise certificate.
• Second tier of claimants: Class members who made one or more qualifying purchases and submit a valid claim form with proof of purchase. These claimants are eligible for one merchandise certificate.
• Third tier of claimants: Class members who are a tier one or tier two claimant, made a qualifying purchase of $150 or more and submit a valid claim with proof of purchase. These claimants are eligible for additional merchandising certificates.

The potential award is $150 in merchandise certificates with proof of purchase or just one merchandise certificate of $6.50 without proof.

Click here for more details and to submit a claim by Jan. 16, 2019.

Subway Credit Card Receipt

Customers who used a debit or credit card to purchase items at a Subway fast-food restaurant may be eligible for part of a $30.9 million class-action settlement.

Subway faced allegations that the company violated the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) by allowing the expiration date of credit and debit cards to appear on receipts handed to customers.

FACTA prohibits anything other than the last five digits of the card number to appear on a receipt. The expiration dates allegedly appeared on receipts given at specific restaurant locations that used a Subway payment management system that had been programmed to print the dates.

Class members include customers who purchased food or other merchandise from those Subway restaurants between Jan. 1, 2016, and March 23, 2017.

Each class member is eligible for a potential award up to $75.

For instructions on how to obtain a claim ID and to submit a claim by the Jan. 22, 2019, deadline, click here.

Fiat Chrysler Automatic Transmission

If you owned or leased a 2014 or 2015 Jeep Cherokee, 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2015 Chrysler 200 or 2015 Ram ProMaster City vehicle, you could be eligible for a portion of a class-action settlement regarding allegations that Fiat Chrysler installed defective automatic transmissions.

Vehicles equipped with a ZF 9HP transmission allegedly included a defect that causes loud noises and makes it difficult to shift into gear. The vehicles were marketed as having the benefits of both manual and automatic transmissions.

Under the terms of the class-action settlement, class members who made at least three transmission-related complaints to an FCA US-authorized dealer could receive up to $2,000 cash or a trade-in value of up to $4,000.

Fiat Chrysler has also agreed to extend warranties on vehicles containing the ZF 9HP transmission of the class vehicles to six years or 100,000 miles.

Class members with one of the qualifying vehicles must complete a claim form and include documentation that they made at least three transmission-related complaints prior to Nov. 16, 2018.

Get into gear and click here for more information and to file a claim by May 15, 2019.

Conde Nast, Vogue, Golf Digest Magazines (Michigan Only)

Magazine subscribers in Michigan may be eligible for a portion of a $13.75 million class-action settlement.

Plaintiffs in the Condé Nast class-action lawsuit alleged Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. violated Michigan’s Preservation of Personal Privacy Act by allegedly sharing subscriber information with third parties.

No wrongdoing has been determined in the settlement, but Michigan subscribers of Allure, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Brides, Condé Nast Traveler, Footwear News, Glamour, Golf Digest, Golf World, GQ, Lucky, Self, Teen Vogue, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, W, Wired, and Women’s Wear Daily may qualify to receive up to $75 each in the settlement.

The actual award will depend upon the number of qualifying claims received by the estimated deadline of April 14, 2019.

Class members include Michigan residents who subscribed to a Condé Nast publication between July 20, 2009, and July 30, 2016.

For more information on the magazine privacy class action settlement flip or click here.

Merchants’ Choice Payment Solutions Fees

A $15 million class-action settlement has been reached between businesses and Merchants’ Choice Payment Solutions, a payment card processing service accused of adding unauthorized charges to the merchants’ invoices.

Class members are those who contracted with or through Merchants’ Choice for payment processing services between Dec. 22, 2013, and Sept. 18, 2018, and were charged one of the following fees:

• Annual fees.
• Batch header fees.
• PCI program/compliance fees.
• PCI noncompliance/non-validation fees.
• Gateway access fees.
• Foundry/e-merchant fees.
• Monthly minimum discount fees.
• Nonqualified fees.
• Discount rates.
• Other discount fees (including signature debit rates).
• Paper statement fees.

Potential awards are estimated to be $65 to $70.

Click here for more information and to file a claim by the March 4, 2019, deadline.